Your enthusiasm is encouraging! Once upon a time I was young boy in eastern Europe and the exotic car for our budget was Alfa Romeo 33. I can still remember every other day I had to fix something odd on those Alfas. The crowd with the Golf GTi were less cool but also had less car troubles. I am sure most vendors that sold parts to Alfa Romeo sold to Ferrari as well (Veglia, Magneti Marelli etc) and I expect that my Ferrari will need more than it's fair share of attention. Probably the most important thing is how the car was treated before me purchasing it. Probably it would be overwhelming to DIY on 2 exotic/semi-exotic cars so I'm thinking to pick a 348 when I find a good deal and then decide if I should sell the 911. Maybe it would feel boring, just like some people said. Who knows... Thanks for the time to share your thoughts! Much appreciated!
You only live once buy the Ferrari. I had an NSX brand new and while it was a cool car it was too slow. Sold that for a 993 turbo, then a 996 turbo, then a Superformance Cobra and finally the F355 spider. I realized a lifelong dream to own a Ferrari this past October and it's incredible! The pinnacle of car ownership for me.
I have a 1995 348 spider also, my V.I.N. = 0099624. My build date shows July 1994, but because it was sold in 1995, it is a 1995 vehicle. I think there weren't very many 348's made after mine, not sure how many & what the final VIN production number was. I love my 348, it has a very visceral feel when driving.
Owning a 355 is a bit like owning a small airplane (cost wise). Annual = yearly maintenance Surprise repairs = happens all the time on the plane Engine out = Engine overhaul. Just budget for it. For every 100 hours you drive, you get 10 hours of maintenance. Want to make a Ferrari 355 ownership experience look cheap? Buy a Navajo
In 4 years of 355 ownership, I think (IIRC) I've invested $5k and the vast majority of that was cosmetic. I bought a pristine car, just serviced with new tires. Couldn't be happier.
That's like buying a plane with 1200 hour engines and flying it for 300 hours and saying it was cheap. The TBO is 1600 hours and in 100 hrs you will be in for $100k+ Need the full life cycle to really appreciate the cost requirements. It's all part of the game in planes...rarely seen in cars except the Ferrari's and some other exotics. Just know it going in. It is like owning an airplane for beginners. Hey, the 355 aint for pansies and I for one like it that way.
The last SN I have in my personal database is 99648, built in May of '94 (oddly, before your lower SN car (assuming your memory of the build date is accurate)). FChatter Scaledetails posted a Spider SN list that goes all the way to 99935 though. I have no idea how high the numbers actually went but I'm collecting SNs, along with color combo, body type, and mileage in case anyone is willing to share. Agree 100% with your driving impression. To me, the 348 is the perfect combination of the feel of a true sports car with reasonably modern amenities/ergonomics. Finally, with regard to the OP's question, they are not cheap cars to own by any means. It requires a real commitment to take care of one but it delivers smiles that few other cars can.
I can imagine what a navajo means... I knew a guy who kept telling us stories about his twin Cessna but anywhere we flew he came by car I am sure Ferrari brings a lot of attention (that comes in a package with lots envy and possibly some extra *****) but this is not at all why I became interested. I just like to drive and get to feel machinery. Flying a DC-3 or a firing up a vintage steam locomotive would bring me similar excitement. But hey! Those Pratt&Whitney star engines are pretty expensive to run and the locos are hard to park, so I have to settle for the F car in the end
I bought a fairly decent 355 with minimal service records and spent $24k in 2 years. I gave up, sold it and bought a pristine 355. I've had that 7 months and haven't spent anything other than an annual service and a little on sticky items. So far the pristine one with extensive service records that was maintained by Rifledriver has been as reliable as a Toyota.
$24K? let me make a guess: Headers: $5K Cat converters: $3K Engine out service:$10K with clutch repack TCU: $1K Sticky: $2K Seat pots: $1K Leather dashboard: $2K
If I lived in L.A., you and I, OP, would be friends. I have an '87 Carrera, and a '91 348, and I have an interest in flying. I don't think I'd ever get a PPL, but I'm intrigued. I've had my Carrera for almost 17 years, and it's cost me almost nothing. Maybe a couple hundred here and there in that time. Small enough that I forget. I've had my 348 for 4 months, and I'm looking at a belt service. If I do it myself, it may cost less than a thousand. If I have an independent do it, I'm thinking $5k and up. I've already done most of the sticky refurb myself, a few electrical glitches corrected myself, and rear brake service including parking brake replacement and adjustment, myself. Also just bought wheels and new tires. I plan to repack the clutch myself as well. The Porsche is solid as you'd expect. I don't think twice about driving it or running errands in it. I paid about $22K for it back in '00. I still think of it as a $20K car, though it would be really hard to replace it if it were lost. Hard to find my car with its options. The Ferrari cost me about twice as much to buy, but feels much more expensive to me. Driving it feels like a special event. I fret over it more than I should. Owning it feels like an achievement in my little world, and in my little mind, I feel like I can now rest on my laurels. I shouldn't assign this much value to a thing, but I can't help it. I came of automotive age in the '80's, and cars of the '80's and '90's are what I know and value. Hope this helps. And good luck in your search. P.S. I like the NSX, too. A lot. But given the choice, I'd rather dedicate my limited garage space to a Ferrari, that looks and feels like a Ferrari inside and out. The NSX looks great, performs great, but the drawback to me is that it feels like an Accord on the inside.
If you can handle a single engine private aircraft, you undoubedly can handle the 348. As for mid-engine driving thrills, the Ferrari's are wonderful. If you want something you can really thrash without worrying about depreciation issues (ie guilt free thrashing), you might try driving a Porsche Cayman S, R, or GT4. Smaller, lighter, a bit less power but quite comparable on the hp/wt ratio scale, and common with lots of parts supply and tech support over on Planet 9. I'd also recommend a Lotus Exige for pure thrills if you can live with the absolute lack of practicality (maybe, just maybe, can take your briefcase with you if you drive it to work...).
those all sound like pretty reasonable suggestions. I like, however, cars from the '80s and '90s.... I like the looks and also I like them because they tend to be easier to understand and to work on. I have my 3rd annual plane inspection due by the end of this month... let me go through it and then I can tell you whether I can actually handle it or not
Same here, although I like more '70s cars than '90s cars. If you like raw sports cars you'll love the 348, but only you can decide whether or not you are willing to take on the cost of ownership.
I've owned my 94 348 Spider (96808) for ~15 years. The cost of ownership has been described well. It's the excitement of ownership that can't really be described! It's been highly a reliable car. I currently have 11 cars in my "collection" today (2 ferraris, Maserati, jaguar, 2 Mercedes, Porsche, Austin healey... and a Mazda) and owned many more. One of the few cars I have not ever thought of selling. Worth every cent.
many thanks to user flat_plane_eddie who took me for a ride in his 355 a few days ago and explained ownership issues in and out! now I am convinced to look for a similar car! Cheers!
I have recently changed my 993 and 348 for a 430. whilst I don't miss the 993 (never really got what the fuss was about with that flat 6.....sorry to those who do) I sorely miss my 348. If you end up with a 348 you will love it!
The people on this forum never cease to amaze me. Nice work all around. Wish I had some folks around here. All the friends I have around here that own Ferrari's never drive them.
You're welcome, glad it was helpful but now your journey only begins as you start to debate between 348 and 355 When I was in the OP's position a few years ago Bruce (plugzit) helped me understand these cars better so I'm just trying to pay it forward. As far as your problem goes, just move to California
